


Speak To The Heart

by LiliFayre



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: AU, M/M, Music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-29
Updated: 2012-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-26 16:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/285326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiliFayre/pseuds/LiliFayre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Written for a prompt on the Suits meme.</p><p>Mike Ross is the piano man at a very classy restaurant. Harvey is infatuated by him. Mike isn't impressed with him at first but becomes good friends with the rest of the Pearson-Hardman crew. How does the lawyer woo the brilliant musician?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my favorite stories. I hope everyone enjoys it. All of the songs mentioned are real. Several of them are also very beautiful. I have deviated from the prompt slightly, by allowing Mike to play more than just the piano. Feel free to look up the songs and to offer suggestions.

“I don't believe this.” Louis Litt stared at the front of the beautiful restaurant suspiciously, before glaring at the man standing next to him. The building was classy but not the usual stuffy place Harvey tended to visit. A sign, proclaiming the place, Moretti's in gilded letters hung just above the door.“Harvey, just what do you have up your sleeve this time?”

For his part, Harvey Specter just rolled his eyes. “Believe me, Louis. Just this once I have nothing planned to humiliate you. Jessica insisted that you celebrate your promotion to senior partner and I know that you weren't going to. So we are going to eat dinner at this amazing restaurant and then tomorrow I will go back to making fun of you.”

“If that was supposed to be comforting...” Louis half growled but paused mid-sentence. Strains of music could just be heard as a couple opened the door to leave the establishment. It was a piano, the tune Mozart's Piano Concerto 23. Possibly the only piece of music that both Harvey and Louis agreed upon. It was softly played, the tune soothing to both of the overworked men.

“There wasn't a piano player last time I was here...” Harvey spoke softly as he passed his co-worker to open the door. Harvey adored music, and perfectly played classics were his weakness. Perhaps, this night wouldn't be a complete waste after all.

The inside of the restaurant was stunning, as befitting it's high end patrons. There was a candle in the center of each table, a rich red, that perfectly matched the tablecloths and the fabric on the chairs. The walls were cream and adorned with scenic paintings. The music came from a piano that was tucked away in the very back of the restaurant, enough to keep it from standing out but that allowed the music to fill the room. There were sconces on the walls, dimmed low enough to give the room a cozy atmosphere.

Louis, who after a moment of surprise at the place, glanced at Harvey. “When did you say you came here? I don't remember hearing about this restaurant.”

Masking a frown at having to focus on Louis rather than the beautiful melody, Harvey shrugged. “It's new, I met a client here last week for lunch. The food is pretty good.”

The host, a stiff looking man in a dark green collared shirt greeted both lawyers formally. “Good evening sirs. Do you have a reservation?” He opened a thin black book, looking from one to the other expectantly.

“Yes, table for Specter.” Harvey replied.

“Ah, yes. Right this way please?” He made a note in the book before closing it sharply and leading them to a table near the back of the restaurant. “Your waiter will be with you in a moment.” The host bowed politely before heading back to his post near the door.

“I have to admit, Harvey, this is rather nice.” Louis still sounded suspicious, occasionally glancing toward the piano, studying the blond man that was seated there.

Harvey made a noncommittal noise, his eyes also on the young man that was making the piano sound so wonderful. He was younger than Harvey, thin and dressed in the same dark shirt and pants that the host was. A pair of thin wire glasses framed blue eyes that seemed huge in the dim light. His eyes were on the keys, keeping most of his face in shadow, but already he had Harvey's attention. Musical talent, glasses and blue eyes? The young man could have practically walked right out of Harvey's fantasies.

Louis again distracted Harvey from his musing on the pianist, by standing and walking over to the man as he finished the song. “Is that the only song you know?” His tone was the same as usual, abrupt, and demanding. It made Harvey roll his eyes.

Finally, the young man looked up, his face attractive and fresh, his expression open. “No sir. Do you have a request?” Contrary to Louis's tone, the pianist's was soft, a tenor, and held a hint of amusement.

“Do you know Beethoven's Sonata #1? Or Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu?” Louis scowled, because that was what was most familiar to him. “Something exceptionally lovely, like the Moonlight Sonata?”

A soft chuckle was all the warning the short man received before the blond man placed his hands on the keys again, pausing for just a moment. Then the bright strains of Sonata #1 sounded, light and cheerful. The pianist's long fingers fairly dancing over the keys, before he switched mid-song and smoothly to Louis' second request. The second song the opening notes held power, and the subsequent notes were delivered with a speed and precision that left Louis' mouth open slightly. The pianist smiled slightly, taking Harvey's breath away for multiple reasons as he switched songs again. Louis' final request, was probably Harvey's favorite song to hear on a piano. The song started low, building so slowly that it never failed to captivate. Unfortunately, the young man only played a portion of the song, the same as the others, before looking up at Louis.

Surprisingly, the short man smiled. “Impressive. I haven't met many people that know Fantasie Impromptu.”

“Believe it or not sir, it was my teacher's favorite.”

“Your name?” Louis wasn't known for his social skills, and he clarified when the blond raised an eyebrow. “I make it a point to shake hands with people such as yourself.”

Harvey suppressed the urge to laugh. He'd heard that tone from the older man before, when he was trying to woo a client or on the occasional attempt to lure Donna from Harvey's side.

“Mike Ross. Now, what can I play for you?” The smile he directed toward Louis was friendly, apparently having enjoyed the musical challenge. For some reason, that bothered Harvey. He didn't want this musical genius, Mike, being too friendly with someone like Louis.

* * *

Despite the fact that the dinner with Louis went far better than anyone could have imagined, in spite of the lovely music that Mike played the entire time, Harvey was still dissatisfied. Thanks to Louis, spending a large amount of time quizzing the young man on various musical pieces, Harvey didn't even have the chance to introduce himself to Mike. It wasn't until he was back at his condo and sipping a bit of scotch, a frown playing at his mouth that Harvey realized he was being very petty. The night had been in celebration of Louis' promotion, it was only right that the annoying man got to enjoy himself. Plus, Harvey reasoned, Jessica would be happy that he had exceeded her expectation. Harvey would just have to make another excuse to visit the restaurant, perhaps take Jessica or Donna there.

Satisfied that he had the beginning of a plan to officially meet the man that could convey so much with his playing, Harvey finished his drink and let his dark mood dissipate along with it.

* * *

Fate is a fickle thing and Harvey ended up meeting the pianist in a way that he never expected and wished desperately that he could erase from Mike's mind. In the end, it was Jessica that ruined his chances. She dropped a pro-bono case in his lap with instructions to handle it gently. Harvey hated pro-bono cases. Not because they were free but because often they weren't as difficult as the high profile ones, and Harvey relished a challenge.

Which was why he was standing in a dull hallway, being told by a very irate nurse that he wasn't allowed to visit any of the patrons unless he was family. Harvey hated nursing homes. He felt that it was quite possibly the cruelest thing that could be done to a human being, and the fact that this one wasn't giving some of the people the proper care only reaffirmed his belief.

“Listen.” Harvey interrupted testily. “I am here to meet with a man named Steven Pirtin. I have a paper signed by his daughter. There is no reason for you to refuse my visit.”

“The staff doctor says otherwise. It is our policy to limit visitors due to the delicate nature of the patients.” The nurse countered rudely.

“Your policy is a mess and your place isn't much better. I'm not at all surprised that someone is suing you over it. What kind of person would willingly put their relatives in a place like this.” Harvey wasn't in the mood to be polite anymore.

“Probably, the kind of people that can't afford anywhere else.” The new voice was familiar and came from directly behind Harvey. The lawyer turned and stared directly into wide blue eyes. It only took a minute to recognize the musician from the restaurant, but it was still enough time for the man to continue speaking. “Also, if you are going to cause a scene in the hallway, you should talk louder, not everyone can hear you and they don't get enough entertainment here.” The pianist, Mike, crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at the nurse.

“He was just leaving, Mr. Ross.” The nurse again tried to shoo Harvey away and again the lawyer didn't budge.

“I'm not leaving until you let me speak to my client. If you continue to try and block me, then I will have you arrested.” Harvey snapped over his shoulder, too surprised to look away from Mike. Even in jeans and a loose long sleeve shirt, Mike drew attention. Harvey was doing his best to ignore the glare that was behind the glasses. The other thing that drew the lawyer's notice was his height, Mike stood level with him, even if he was thinner than Harvey was.

“Good luck with that.” Mike's tone was cool. “Lauren? Is Gram awake?” He ignored Harvey as he stepped around him to look at the nurse.

“She should be, I know she was in the game room playing cards earlier.”

“Good thing, I stocked up on nickles. I won't have any when I leave.” Mike smiled at the nurse, a wide friendly expression that made his eyes light up behind his wire frames. He waved lightly at the nurse before sliding around Harvey again and walking casually down the hallway.

Harvey sucked in a shaky breath and glared at the nurse again. In his mind, it was her fault that he had inadvertently insulted the beautiful musician. Harvey paused and took a different approach. “Say...nurse?” He began in his best flirting tone.

* * *

When Harvey finally got to see his client, he found himself in the presence of one of the few people that he automatically respected. Steven Pirtin was a World War II veteran and that alone made his deserving of all of Harvey's complete attention. Normally, Harvey found clients boring when they made obligatory small talk before business was discussed. But the stories that Steven entertained Harvey with were fascinating and the lawyer was actually disappointed when the time came to discuss the case.

According to Mr. Pirtin, there were forty people in the nursing home and only half of them actually received the full care that they deserved. Those were the people that had regular visitors, people that cared enough to check on their loved ones. The others, who either had no family or were estranged from them, were treated little better than chattel. After getting all of the necessary information and sincerely wishing Mr. Pirtin a good day, Harvey took a moment to scan the large meeting room for another glimpse of Mike, but was denied a chance to make amends. The thought of ending his first meeting with Mike on such a sour note, Harvey pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Hello! Pearson-Hardman law firm, Harvey Specter's office. How can I help you?” The cheerful voice made Harvey shake his head.

“Donna, I need a reservation for two tonight at Moretti's, say eight?”

“Not a problem. If you give me the address, I'll have Ray pick up your date for you.”

“I'm pretty sure Ray knows where you live Donna.” Harvey stated blandly.

“Oooh, I get to go to the restaurant that Louis has been talking about all day? What's the occasion, boss?” Donna sounded excited, which Harvey knew was because she loved going to fancy places.

“Do I need a reason to take my fantastic secretary out for dinner?”

“Okay, now I know something is up. I'll figure it out, don't think that I won't. If you're taking me, then you better not be late.”

Harvey shook his head as his secretary hung up on him. He'd take Donna to the restaurant and then he could work on getting in Mike's good graces.


	2. Apology

Working at Moretti's was something that Mike loved. Since the restaurant had only been open for three months, all of the employee's, Mike included, have been there since day one. The two chefs, Steven and Peter, were older than Mike, and while they preferred football games to orchestra, he could appreciate taking pride in the things you love. Walter, the evening host, was probably Mike's closest friend at the restaurant, often keeping the blond in stitches with bad jokes and impersonations of random patrons. The musician didn't really like the waitresses, all three seemed determined to take him home and keep him like a puppy.

Another bonus to working there were the customers. Now, spending most of his time behind the beautiful piano meant he didn't spent as much time with them as Walter or the girls did, but occasionally he would have a customer that would stop and either make a request or comment on the piece he was playing. Mike especially loved it when people like the man from last night, Louis, would take some time to actually talk to him. The pianist liked the rather funny looking man, despite his abrasive nature. It was obvious that he appreciated fine music, and wasn't afraid to speak his mind about it. Mike can appreciate such passion about something that can mean different things depending on the person listening to it. Learning the violin from his gram and later the piano were what steered Mike away from an average job choice into one that he felt really fit him.

Wednesday nights were easily the slowest, and Mike's favorite night. Since there were fewer patrons, he had more leeway on the type of music he was allowed to play. On Thursday through Saturday, Mike tended to play softer, more gentle songs, keeping the mood relaxed. But Wednesday, that was when Mike played whatever he was in the mood for, and despite being completely whipped in cards by his gram, he was still irritated at the pompous man that can so insulted the nursing home Mike had worked hard to afford. This led to to the pianist making his mood quite plain by playing A Night On Bald Mountain, his favorite piece to play when in a bad mood, as his warm up, before the restaurant opened for dinner. With the last lingering bits of his anger gone, Mike let his fingers casually dance over the keys, mind wandering. That was another thing about his job that Mike loved, his memory allowed him to memorize the notes of a piece in hours, so he didn't need to concentrate on sheet music in order to play.

* * *

By the time Ray dropped Harvey and Donna off in front of the restaurant, the redhead was coolly ignoring her boss. She didn't appreciate it when he kept secrets from her and the real purpose behind this dinner was not because Harvey appreciated Donna. He was there for another reason and Donna vowed to figure out exactly what it was.

Harvey on the other hand, was frustrated. There was no music playing when they arrived, which meant one of two things, Mike had the day off, something that would ruin his plans completely, or he was simply taking a short break. The lawyer found himself praying that it was the latter, and promised himself that he would find some way to get the pianist's schedule.

Luckily for Harvey, the music started up as the host, the same stiff faced brunette from before, led them to their table. The table was perfect, closer to the piano than last time, and slightly secluded, the ideal place for a date. Making a mental note to tip the host, Harvey couldn't hide his smile at the sight of Mike, sitting behind the black instrument, fingers caressing the keys lovingly. The light strains of Ludovico Einaudi's Primavera, filled Harvey's ears. The lazy smile that he directed toward his assistant was a blissful one.

“Oh, I get it now. You're here for the pretty music.” Donna raised an eyebrow, glancing at the piano. “Pretty but a little old for my taste.”

“You only say that because you can't appreciate a classic.” He countered immediately, almost irritated at how easily she could read him.

“I can appreciate a lot of things. Good food, good company, honesty and compassion, nearly making Louis cry on a daily basis.” Donna shrugged. “Cute little things in glasses.” She eyed Mike thoughtfully.

It took everything Harvey had not to growl at her for that last comment. While Harvey had been annoyed at Louis monopolizing Mike's attention the previous evening, the last thing he wanted was having to compete with someone like Donna, especially since Harvey had already lost points earlier that day. “Surely you aren't going to chase the pianist?” He kept the question as casual as possible.

“No, I think I'll leave that to you.” Donna's smirk grew wider when Harvey gaped at her. “Remember who I am, if I went after him you would have no chance.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I'm Donna.” She casually sipped her water.

* * *

Since Harvey was a decent man, other people's beliefs aside, he waited until the meal was nearly over before excusing himself to attempt to make his amends to Mike. During the meal, Donna had weaseled the entire story of Harvey's accidental insult and much to his annoyance, found it hilarious. So, under the amused gaze of his traitorous assistant, Harvey covered the short distance to the piano.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes sir. What can I... oh.” Mike's pleasant smile faded a bit at the sight of the same man from the nursing home, before his professional courtesy took over. “Can I play something for you?”

Mentally accepting that this was going to be more difficult than he thought, Harvey nodded. “Yes. I'd like to hear Chopin's Nocture #2 please.” He paused then lowered his voice slightly. “Also, I wanted to... apologize.” Normally, Harvey would never do such a thing, however, he couldn't help himself.

“So you followed me to work just for that?” Mike didn't believe the man for a minute.

“I didn't follow you, I was having dinner with my assistant.” A half motion to his table. It was obvious to both Mike and Donna that Harvey was terrible at apologies.

Mike glanced at Donna, then Harvey, and back to Donna. “I think she's too good for you.” He stated loud enough for Donna to hear, which made the redhead instantly like him.

“Probably. Listen, I really did want to apologize. It wasn't my intention to insult you.” Harvey bit back the words he really wanted to say, things like how Mike was gorgeous and about how well he played.

“Fine. I'll accept.” Mike adjusted his glasses and made a shooing motion at Harvey. “Go on, I'll play the song you want.”

Harvey didn't really like the way the conversation ended, since it didn't seem that Mike really believed his apology, but being a good lawyer meant knowing when to tactically retreat, so Harvey did, ignoring Donna's amusement and focusing instead on the music Mike played, already making plans for their next meeting.


	3. The Story in the Song

Work piled up, and made it impossible for Harvey to visit the restaurant for over a week. This only served to put him in a dark mood. He was the type of man that knew what he wanted and went after it, doing whatever he had to in order to get it. But, this... obsession with Mike, wasn't what he was used to. Harvey tended to always have the upper hand, but from the moment he saw the musician, he's been struggling to have anything go in his favor. Now, he wasn't even able to continue perusing who he was after. Most people would give up, but not Harvey. He didn't quit and he had a feeling that if he managed to gain Mike's affection that it would be worth whatever hoops the younger man made him jump through.

It didn't help that Donna had weaseled her way back to the restaurant twice, bringing back the story of a bombed date, honestly, who would stand up someone like Donna, which she ended up spending perched on the piano bench chatting with Mike. Apparently, she thought that Mike was adorable. That had set Harvey's teeth on edge. While he wanted Donna to like Mike, he also wanted Mike to like him, and so far that wasn't going well at all.

* * *

Moretti's was closed on Monday and Mike tended to spend that day in the park. Since his shifts were always in the evening, he usually had most of the day to do whatever he needed done. Wednesday was the day he spent with his Gram. That left Monday completely free from him to do something that he enjoyed more than anything. That was why it was common to find him in his favorite spot playing his violin.

The violin was Mike's treasure, it had been his sixteenth birthday gift and had belonged to his great grandmother. It was that instrument that first brought music into his life, it was what he learned on, and he loved the feel of the bow in his hand and the way that it could sound soft and melancholic as well as bright and cheerful. The violin was the instrument that represented Mike's soul.

This Monday was no different from any other. Mike walked to the park from his apartment, enjoying the crisp morning air and sounds of the city waking up. Most people wouldn't find that relaxing but Mike had lived his entire life in New York, those sounds were as natural to him as breathing. As always, he went to his preferred place, a small cluster of trees near the north end, and spent several minutes reclining against a tree, tuning the strings and taking are to make sure his bow was in perfect condition.

* * *

Harvey liked Central Park. He made a point to run there after work every day without fail, rain or shine. The run did three things for him, it helped him relax after a day at work, it helped, when paired with his early mornings at the gym, to keep him in shape, and it was probably the only thing that insured that he remembered what the outdoors was like. Donna told him repeatedly that he spent far too much time in the office.

The last thing Harvey ever expected to happen during his run was to bump into his current obsession. Literally. Most people tended to look straight ahead when they ran, but Harvey preferred to keep his eyes on the ground. It kept him from being drawn into unwanted conversations. Luckily, he didn't really run terribly fast, and when he bumped into someone, Harvey reached out his arm automatically, catching an arm and keeping them both upright. He looked up to apologize and the words died in his throat. There was Mike, hair ruffled, in a worn denim jacket with a case slung over his shoulder.

Mike had also grabbed a hold of the steadying arm, not wanting to fall on his violin. He hadn't been watching where he was walking, having paused long enough to grab a hotdog from a nearby cart. Thanks to Harvey's quick reflexes, Mike and his violin were safe but his dinner met an unfortunate end. He stared at the hotdog for a minute before raising his eyes to meet Harvey's. There was an odd pause, neither man saying anything, just staring at each other. Then both dropped their hands awkwardly.

“Sorry, I wasn't paying attention...”

“I'm sorry, I wasn't watching...”

There was a pause then both men chuckled, dispelling the odd feeling. Harvey was just thankful that Mike appeared to have forgiven him. “No work today?” Harvey kept the question casual, trying not to scare Mike off before he had a chance to make some headway.

“No, it's closed on Monday.” Mike answered the question easily. He wasn't the type of person to hold a grudge, and the man had apologized, even if it was a bad one. Plus, his evening with Donna, as unexpected as it was, had explained a lot about the other man, and Mike was willing to give him a second chance. “You run?” He offered, a bit lamely.

Harvey jumped at the opening. He smiled and gestured to the side a bit, off of the walking path. “It's good for clearing my head after work.” He eyed the violin case with interest. “You play more than just the piano?” He kept the question casual, unwilling to do anything as crass as ask him to play. He knew he had succeeded when Mike's eyes brightened and he followed Harvey off the path.

“Yeah, actually I learned this first. I usually play it on my day off.” Despite the niceness of this encounter, Mike really wanted to get back to playing. There wasn't a whole lot of daylight left and he meant to make the most of it. “Well... I won't keep you...” Mike glanced toward his spot. “I'm just over there...”

“What about your hotdog?” Harvey wasn't willing to let the musician go just yet, and was willing to grasp at straws to keep him there. “Since I knocked it out of your hand, I should replace it.” He motioned to the stand. “Maybe, you can tell me a bit about the violin, I don't know much about it.”

No matter how badly Mike wanted to get back to playing, he was hungry, and it would be nearly impossible to deny a request to talk about the violin. “Well...” He hedged slightly, but caved. “Alright.”

Harvey kept his questions strictly neutral and focused on the instrument, especially after it became clear that Mike adored it. The longer the younger man stayed with him the less Harvey wanted him to leave. By the time both finished their meal, they hand walked back to what was Mike's spot. The younger man had relaxed more as the conversation shifted from the instrument to various pieces that were played on it. Harvey learned a lot during that time. He found out about Mike's memory, which let him play any piece without music, and that Mike's favorite piece of music was Scheherazade. That had sparked a debate.

“What do you mean, you don't understand that one??” Mike was quite frankly appalled. He couldn't believe that someone with Harvey's musical taste, enjoying things like Moonlight Sonata, which he admitted was his favorite, and Bach's Toccata and Fugue, couldn't understand the beauty of Scheherazade. “It's a story, of arrogance and passion!”

“I've only heard it once.” Was Harvey's argument. “It was at a concert and the man that was supposed to do the solo, got ill and the song was ended before it was finished. I didn't know it was a story.” That was an unexpected surprise. The conversation had been peppered with good-natured arguments, and it had been a long time since Harvey had someone argue with him, because Donna didn't count.

Mike stared, mouth slightly open, “Don't you read? Scheherazade is based off of the book 1001 Arabian Nights. It's the progression of the relationship between Scheherazade and the Rajah that married her.” Seeing the confused look on the lawyer's face, made Mike continue. “He married a different woman every night, having her killed the following morning.”

“I know that part, and how she told him part of a story every night for a thousand and one nights.” Harvey felt the need to defend himself.

“Right.” Mike looked appeased. “In the song, the violin part represents Scheherazade, while the brass is the Rajah. As the song grows and the passion and feelings grow so does the song. The solo at the end, though. It's a story all in its self. Only the most skilled person in the orchestra is granted the honor of playing that part.”

“Can you play it?” Harvey asked slyly, hoping to hear if Mike was as talented on the violin as he was on the piano. “Because, like I said, I haven't heard the end.”

Mike shifted slightly, but nodded. “Yeah... Do you... want to hear it?”

“Just the end, if it's not too much trouble.” Harvey hid his proud smile, when Mike removed his violin from the case. It took a couple of moments, but soon Harvey could understand what Mike meant. What he played was breathtaking, Harvey could almost hear the story that the song was trying to convey. He blatantly stared at the musician while he played, taking in Mike's long fingers almost caressing the strings, his eyes half closed and slightly hidden by his glasses. For the first time, Harvey was convinced that he was in heaven. If the moment never ended, he would be perfectly content for the rest of his days. The thought almost made him frown, it was official, Harvey was completely taken with the man in front of him.


	4. The Umexpected Meeting

Donna eyed her boss warily, his mood far too good for a Tuesday morning. He was also dodging her questions, which usually meant that he was doing well in the romantic department. Given that all Harvey had really talked about in the last couple of weeks was mike the pianist, Donna was dying to know what Harvey had done to convince the musician to give him a chance. Now, she could count on one hand the number of people that she honestly liked, so she was willing to forgive him withholding information. Nothing however, was going to keep her from pushing things along a bit. After a bit of careful research and one very manipulative phone call, Donna leaned back in her chair, smirking at the oblivious man on the other side of the glass.

* * *

Harvey left his meeting in a somber mood. The client was a difficult one, an entrepreneur of a now, very successful internet corporation, who felt he didn't need to listen to the opinions of anyone. It wasn't really enough to completely ruin the enjoyment of the previous evening. He had always preferred the piano, at least to listen to without accompaniment, but it felt like Mike actually poured his soul into the instrument when he played it in the park. Harvey was firmly convinced that he would never think of the violin in the same way again.

As he turned down the hallway that led to his office, he stopped dead in his tracks. There, leaning against Donna's desk was Mike. Shock, admiration and a tiny hint of jealousy filtered through his system one directly after the other. Shock at seeing the man, because really, why would he be here of all places? Admiration, mostly do to the fact that Mike looked good, dressed for work, with a long gray jacket and one of those woolen beret hats, a nice grayish blue color, that would have looked foolish on anyone else, but seemed to make Mike seem more refined. The jealousy though, was solely due to the fact that Louis was hovering around the musician. Adjusting his suit jacket, Harvey casually strolled up to join the small group.

“You don't like the theatre?” Surprisingly, Louis only sounded curious, not the usual disdain in his voice. “That's not possible.”

“Why would I?” Mike's answer was easy, casual and friendly, which irritated Harvey to no end because it wasn't directed toward him. “I mean, it's okay... but most ruin the music.”

“Obviously, you haven't seen the proper shows.” Louis' tone grew more superior. “I should take you to one.”

“Isn't it common form to ask someone to go instead of just assuming that they will?” Harvey interjected at the slightly panicked look Mike had on his face. “So... What's going on here?” He positioned himself on Mike's other side, glancing from the musician to Donna.

“Oh, I needed to ask Mike a question.” Donna stated neutrally. “My niece is in a school play and I wanted to ask about the song. She's in Swan Lake at her school.” Donna was confident that none of them would detect her lie, and she took great delight at batting her eyes at Mike and watching Harvey look perturbed.

“I still think that you should go with me to a play, Mike.” Louis refused to be ignored. “Saturday?”

While Mike liked Louis, he really didn't like the theater. He loved music, but he preferred to be the one playing it rather than watching actors and listening to others play. “I have to work, Louis, sorry. Saturday is our busiest night.”

“Surely you have a day off.” The short man refused to be deterred and the smug look on Harvey's face was only encouraging him.

“Er.. yeah, Monday. Listen, Louis, instead of a play, why don't we go and see the Trans-Suberian orchestra instead? They're passing through in November.” Mike was good, but he knew he wasn't as good as the people in that orchestra, and tried to see them every year, it was the one special thing he allowed himself.

Donna's jaw dropped and Harvey glared but Louis smirked, feeling like the winner for once. “Agreed. I'll hold you to it. We can discuss it the next time I visit the restaurant.” He patted Mike on the shoulder, and swaggered off, while Mike looked slightly confused.

“Why do you look so shocked, Donna?” He glanced at Harvey who schooled his face quickly.

“I'm just surprised that Louis agreed so easily... He really enjoys the theater.” Donna smiled, and quickly changed the subject, monopolizing Mike's attention.

Harvey, since he respected Donna in a way he never would Louis, and because he much preferred her happy to disgruntled, waited as patiently as possible, listening to Mike talk. Eventually, he steered the conversation away. “So, if you don't like going to plays, what do you like?” He kept his attention on Mike, ignoring Donna's knowing eyes.

“You mean, things I enjoy or preferred ways to spend my evening?” Mike glanced up, tilting his head slightly, in order to see Harvey better, light catching the lenses of his thin glasses. “I don't really have a lot of free evenings, so I just catch the highlights of a basketball game when I can. Besides, I'm saving up to take my Gram to Vegas, then I won't ever have to work again.” His smile was easy and open, and Harvey found himself smiling back.

“Ooh, you have a grandmother?” Donna inserted herself into the conversation again. “Tell me all about her.” It was a command.

“You'd never believe me.” Mike laughed, and Harvey had to force himself to keep his hands to himself, as the sound was a s musical as Mike's piano playing. “But, I have to go.. I hope I helped with your problem, Donna?”

“Of course, I feel much better prepared, now. Thank you.” Donna busied herself with some papers, after a pointed glance at Harvey.

“I'll walk you down.” The offer slipped out without Harvey's permission, and he chastised himself during the entire elevator ride for not being able to think of anything to say. He stood there awkwardly before blurting out. “So I was wondering...”

Blue eyes turned to him, looking almost indigo in the dim light of the elevator, and Harvey's mouth went dry. “Hmm?”

Clearing his throat slightly, Harvey continued on with the only option he had of spending time with Mike, aside from stalking him at his job and the park, which were already planned upon. “I'm working on a case for someone in the nursing home your grandmother is in... Again... I was having kind of a bad day...”

“It's over and done.” Mike interrupted, shrugging one slim shoulder, and drawing Harvey's eyes to the collar of his shirt. “A case?”

“Right... I can't really go into too much detail but... I did want to ask you a couple of questions about the care your grandmother is getting... maybe over lunch? Thursday?” He tried to keep the question casual, going so far as to tuck his hands into his pockets, mostly so he didn't submit to the urge to touch Mike's hair.

Mike made a face, but shrugged again. “Sure, I guess. I mean, it's a state facility so there's only so much they can do, but I don't see the harm.” He pulled a small notepad from his back pocket and scribbled a few things down, while Harvey reveled in Mike's acceptance.

When the door dinged and Mike stepped out, he thrust the paper at Harvey. “My number, call me so I know where to meet you. Tell Donna and Louis, I said goodbye.” The musician waved lightly, and left, leaving Harvey to inspect the paper until the number was memorized.


End file.
